How to Select the Best Fitting Shoe for Children

There has been little research on effect of footwear on children’s. While many of foot deformities are hereditary, improper footwear may exacerbate the foot conditions [1]. For this reason, selecting the best fitting shoe for children is important in order to prevent future foot problems. Many of such problems (hallux valgus, hallux rigidus …) [2] are caused by wearing shoes of insufficient length as a child. According to study made by Dr. Wieland Kinz, 89% of children in Austria wear too short indoor shoes and 69% wear too short outdoor shoes [3]. The methods parents use for determining the correct shoe sizes are relatively primitive and in many cases inaccurate. Pressing the toe area to get an indication of the available toe space or putting the finger behind the children’s heel in order to detect the difference between the foot and the shoe, are imprecise methods used for selecting the proper shoe size. Parent’s main concern is the length of the shoe, while pain or discomfort in the ball area of the foot (metatarsophalangeal joint area) is almost always associated with narrow shoe. Most fit problems are generally around the “width” dimension while the commonly used shoe sizing system is predominantly in the length dimension [4].